OK, everybody, try not to FREAKÂ the FORCEÂ out, but Colin Trevorrow was just announced as the director for Star Wars Episode IX! We’re still months away from the first installment of the newest intergalactic trilogy set in everyone’s favorite far, far away galaxy, but that doesn’t make this news any less awesome!
Ever since J.J. Abrams took the reins as the director/producer for the Star Wars “sequel trilogy”, details have been slowly dropping hither and fro, just enough to keep excitement at peak levels while being careful not to spoil the endgame. After Abrams announced that he would only be directing the first of the new films and producing the rest, fans have been anxiously awaiting news of who would be helming the remaining two. Rian Johnson (Looper, Breaking Bad) got Episode VIII‘s golden ticket, and now it’s been confirmed by Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn that Jurassic World‘s Colin Trevorrow will be helming Episode IX. May the force be with D23 this weekend!
Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, sounds as excited as we are that Trevorrow has joined the Star Wars team:
âColin is someone Iâve been interested in working with ever since I saw Safety Not Guaranteed,â says Kennedy. âThe power of that film paired with the enormous success of Jurassic World speaks volumes about his abilities both as a storyteller and skilled filmmaker. We are thrilled to have such an incredible talent as Colin join our family and step into the Star Wars universe.â
Addressing what it means to be joining Lucasfilm as they bring this new trilogy to both old and new fans of the Star Wars universe, Trevorrow sounds remarkably insightful into his role, stating âThis is not a job or an assignment. It is a seat at a campfire, surrounded by an extraordinary group of storytellers, filmmakers, artists, and craftspeople.” Recognizing that the weight of joining such a storied and beloved franchise is nothing to take lightly, he further illuminates what he feels his role in the grand scheme will be: “Weâve been charged with telling new stories for a younger generation because they deserve what we all had â a mythology to call their own. We will do this by channeling something George Lucas instilled in all of us: boundless creativity, pure invention, and hope.â
As was demonstrated by Jurassic World, Trevorrow is no slouch when it comes to breathing new life into a famed franchise. Though the Jurassic screenplay was not entirely his (he, along with Derek Connolly, made some rewrites to the existing story/screenplay by screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver) Trevorrow proved deft at delivering a movie that was both a keen homage to the original Steven Spielberg movie that captured hearts and imaginations, all while delivering fresh and exciting thrills for a new generation of audiences.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters on December 18th, 2015 and will conclude with Episode IX, which will begin filming in a few years for a targeted release in 2019. Couldn’t you just herd an entire field of nerfs right about now!? Sound off with your excitement! Tell us all of your feels! USE THE FORCE COMMENTS!